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Fisher Paykel French Door Fridge -- like it or not?

14 years ago

Boy oh boy. The Fisher Paykel french door refrigerator I was thinking about getting has a couple really bad reviews on amazon.

And consumer reports isn't too complimentary either.

Am I crazy to consider it? Anyone hate/love their FP fridge?

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Comments (4)

sdionnemoore
14 years ago
Now this is a subject I know something about. I had the F&P CD FD refrigerator for over a year and a half. Though the unit itself was attractive, I had a couple of issues with the sharp edges of the squared off handles (scratches if it rubs up against you as it closes). The exterior wipes clean quite nicely. The interior was nice, but the shelves were flimsy. I was always afraid to put more than a couple of gallons of anything on one of the shelves because it would visibly bow in the middle.

The big problem, for me, was the constant drip of the water in the door. After getting a glass of water, the unit would drip for about 4-6 hours. Not a constant stream but enough that if I left the house and came back it had run down the front of the refrigerator, pooled on the freezer door, or dribbled down on the floor (hardwood!). I could count up how many service calls we endured but I don't have my records in front of me. After what felt like sixty of them (gross exaggeration but I was TICKED), and the water still dripped, they replaced the unit with the newer model. The regional service man told me the newer models did not have measured fill and if the unit delivered did have measured fill then it wasn't the new model. The one delivered had measured fill. *sigh*

So they took that one back and replaced it with the real new model. I was really hoping for the best. Really. Especially because the one wall of cabinets was built around this specific unit and its dimensions. But it leaked too. I had two or three service calls (again, I'd have to look at my notes to be sure) on that unit, but to no avail.

Suffice it to say I do NOT recommend F&P refrigerators. To their credit they are refunding my money and paying for the damage to the wood floor made by their regional serviceman when he pulled the refrigerator out without putting something under it first (made indentations in the floor), but I still feel like I should have been paid for all the pain and aggravation and frustration. Dreaming, I know, but it was not a fun ride. So, a year and a half later, I'm replacing the F&P with a Samsung FD CD that should arrive today and hopefully be more reliable.
lola77
Original Author
14 years ago
oh my goodness. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to respond to my question. That does it. No Fisher Paykel for me. I certainly hope you love the Samsung. I talked with a friend who says it's a great choice. take care...
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Yes, I still like the Fisher & Paykel. The more I live with it, the more I appreciate how the designers and engineers made something I really enjoy at a reasonable price. I have grown to like the stainless steel front and the painted or powder-coated sides that are coordinated with the stainless steel but do not attempt to exactly match it. I have concluded that the refrigerator would look larger if it were all stainless steel, and that such a result would not go with the small kitchens for which this model is made. The fact that the sides are slightly darker and not as shiny as the front eliminates glare I would otherwise get from the light over the kitchen sink. The refrigerator made it through its first hot, humid summer in a house without air conditioning without getting any mold on the gaskets and without any condensation forming on or near the gaskets. I have not had a refrigerator that could do that before. In fact, I am so happy with this refrigerator, apparently designed in New Zealand, that I keep a bottle of Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand in the wine rack, out of sheer gratitude to a country that solved a problem nobody else bothered with, a good refrigerator for my kitchen, unremodeled since 1950 (the only change being cutting down the cabinet above the refrigerator nook, which was a few inches too low even for this small refrigerator). Every time I visit a store that sells refrigerators, I look at the display models and wonder why people pay thousands of dollars more for models with handles that look like a huge piece of wet pasta stuck on the front, with the doors always just a bit misaligned. The handle on the Fisher & Paykel reminds me of really high-end door hardware, like FSB from Germany. It is a pleasure to use every time. The fact that I like the refrigerator so much probably contributes to the fact that I keep it spotless, inside and out, all the time, without thinking of the cleaning as a chore.
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While wandering through the scratch and dent outlet of a large Canadian dept store, I came across about a dozen smaller F-P casualties with the ez curved door, a medium size GE masquerading as an F-P (only obvious difference was the name stamped on the door, maybe someone with a sense of humor had parked it with its "real" GE family), and finally a large white F-P with a flat door and a made in Cleveland, Australia data plate. Sort of sad.
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We have the Liebherr CS2062 (Freestanding) and bought it in Canada for $4800 Canadian so I think it's in your budget. We love it & have been using x 3 months. This has the manual closing doors (as opposed to the integrated one) which I don't mind. The ice maker is awesome. The space is amazing - nothing wasted as it is so well laid-out. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love it AND it looks great (it looks totally integrated and people are shocked when they find out it's not)
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Hi orangkitchenbgone, Sorry to say but I was extremely disappointed when I checked out the back of that box. Their pdf info states that depth including door was 23+, which had me excited about the prospect of a built in looking unit under 72" high. I went to Pacific Sales, pulled the unit out to check the back and was dismayed to see a FULL WIDTH ~1 inch deep box at the very bottom of the unit, roughly 6-12 " high or so ( I cant remember the height since I was so angry). This box was exactly where I'd have the line for water and recessed electrical. Also, the Mfr. wants a ridiculous amount of airspace on all sides. From the box to the gasket was over 24 1/2", about 1" more than most (23 5/8 ave) and the door added another 4 inches or so. For me, every inch counts when I want a CD unit...
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bobb_2010
14 years ago
I saw a Fisher Paykel, and it immediately struck me as Euro-ish, don't know why. Yeah, it was striking, but I really don't like the (real) stain steel look. It's a shinny SS compare, say to my KitchenAid which has a more brushed aluminum look. At angles, it seems the FP's SS is made out of thin sheet and it's not perfectly flat. Am sure its performance is top notch, I just want it perfect if I am going to spend that much dough$!
chrisk327
14 years ago
I don't have a FP. I do have a Kenmore Elite french door fridge with filtered water in the fridge, not in the door. I love it, no problems in 3 yrs of ownership. We're moving, I'm going to get one for the new house when we do that kitchen.

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